Mission: Impossible
by randombill21
Summary: CHANGED MY PENNAME! Shinn is a delinquent angel on ther verge of losing his wings. To keep them, he must complete one impossible mission. Can he succeed? And find love along his way?
1. Default Chapter

_**Mission: Impossible**_

Started on: Sunday, April 17, 2005

Chapter started on: 2005-04-17

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_Anime: _Gundam SEED/ Destiny

_Genre:_ Romance, Comedy

_Rating:_ PG-13

_Pairings:_ Shinn/Stellar, Mia/Kira/Lacus, Athrun/Cagalli/Lunamaria, Lunamaria/Rey, etc, Dearka/Miriallia

_Characters:_ Shinn, Stellar, Kira, Lacus, Mia, Athrun, Cagalli, Lunamaria, Heine, Rey, Auel, Sting, Meyrin, Dearka, Miriallia, Yzak, Mwu, Murrue, Rau, etc

_Summary: _Shinn is a guardian angel that's made one WAY too many screw-ups. He also holds the record for being the worst guardian angel in Heaven. Now, in order to keep his wings in the very least, he has to succeed this one extremely impossible mission. Can he succeed?

**_Disclaimer:_** Well, I don't own SEED/Destiny, so very sadly, from my poor excuse for an imagination, here comes this story! Enjoy! TT

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**_Prologue-A Prologue is a Prologue After All_**

All was quiet in the land of Endymion. The sky was well, blue, but still nevertheless undeniably beau-ti-ful! Fluffy, magnificent birds chirped their lovely song and flew across the colorless sky, and gentle winds blew by, tickling the green, green grass. Oh and look! An adorable bunny just hopped by! Perfect cobblestone streets intertwined the town, and quaint, little cottage-like houses were scattered about, and stores were bustling with angels. Literally. All in all, it looked very stunning, end of story.

But you know, no one really reads a story just to see how a town looks like, right? And since we've got the scenery thing down-pat and outta the way, let's all fast-forward to the exciting, suspenseful and absolutely thrilling job of Commander Mwu La Flaga!

_Stamp._

_Stamp._

_Stamp._

_Stamp._

_Stamp…_

OK, so I lied. Mwu's job wasn't thrilling. In fact, it downright sucked. It was boring; all he saw day-to-day and night-to-night were paper, paper, paper, and even more paper. Mwu literally wished he could die, but alas, he was an _angel_, which meant he had done something remotely useful in his time of life, and being an angel meant he was dead. So well, how do you die if you're already dead? He had tried to appeal for a life out in the countryside of Endymion, being a nice farmer, all settled-down with the woman of his dreams, all the young angelings coming to Uncle Mwu when they were bored out of there minds… but oh no… Le Creuset just threw his lovely little appeal away, the cold hearted man! Just _what_ had he done to deserve the title of an angel!

_Splat!_

"ARGH!" Mwu growled, glaring at the inanimate stick of ink angels –humans, too- referred to as a 'pen'. The stick was currently clutched in Mwu's hand, the top having exploded from Mwu's unnecessary grip. And the ink of the pen was all over Mwu's prized face, thus painting him out to look like an overgrown tomato with arms and legs and the ability to growl.

How he hated Le Creuset for having the authority to kick back appeals and laugh at his face… how he hated the authoress for making him have such a crappy, boring job or having him dead in her stories. Why, why him? Didn't he look pretty? Didn't he endure this job as long as he had been dead! Why… WHY MUST IT BE HIM!

"C-C-Commander…?" his two assistants (which really was a fancy term for 'slaves' or 'lackeys'), Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala piped up, both looking pretty damn afraid. With good reason, I might add.

"Yes?" Mwu asked, eyebrow twitching uncontrollably. And to add to his plight, he had two _pretty boys_ for assistants! Kira, despite being married, had ladies chasing after him like bees during his breaks, and needless to say, his fan club was quite violent. Blame it on his occupation as a pretty-boy singer when he was alive… And Athrun… words such as stupidly beautiful would sum _him_ up, wouldn't it! Women following wherever he went, them just falling into his arms… could it have something to do with his previous occupation as a MODEL! It wasn't fair!

"Commander, you're… _twitching_," Athrun stated cautiously.

"Is there a law against twitching, Athrun?" Mwu asked blandly. Oh how bitter he was without his morning coffee made by his dear friend Andy…

"No, sir," Kira replied. "But you're stamping at an alarming rate and you're glaring at an inanimate object,"

"What did I do to deserve this, kids? This job is so _boring_!" Mwu whined.

"Our record says you _did_ save a young girl from a car crash in the seventies," Athrun stated, shrugging.

Mwu sighed and rolled his eyes. "But I was _drunk_!" he protested, letting out a noise that was a cross between a strangling noise and a groan. "How was I supposed to know that stumbling out into the street completely wasted would save that girl? She looked a lot like a beer bottle to me!"

The memory was fond, really. He had been partying, in the hippie clothes and all, and gotten pretty damn wasted, and stumbled out onto the street, chasing after what he claimed was a 'beer bottle'. You can probably figure out the rest. It really wasn't pretty…

Kira sweatdropped. "Sir, the job isn't all that bad…"

"All that bad!" Mwu gasped. "Kira, where have you been the last thirty years? How can you say that? You're _married_ to a beautiful wife, you have an _exciting_ job as a law enforcement angel, and_ you're_ not the one looking at blindingly white scented papers and stamping them!"

Athrun cleared his throat. "But sir, we _are_ your assistants," he pointed out.

"True, too true," Mwu nodded. "But either way, my job will always be boring. Since this daily chat of ours has come to an end, let's cut to the point. Kira, report to me."

Kira began to read from the report he had written (more like _Lacus_ had written _for_ him) the night before. "Well, Commander, the serial angel killer is caught and in the maximum security prison for the criminally insane located in PLANT, and the thief that raided the Dullindal mansion has been caught and sent to the minimum security prison in ORB." He finished.

"Athrun, your weekly report?" Mwu asked.

Athrun cleared his throat. "Sir, the progress is relatively well: Rey Za Burrel is doing extremely well in his latest assignment, Lunamaria Hawke is also doing relatively well, Shinn Asuka has managed to kill off his latest assignment, which was as you instructed a human family's pet dog." He finished, sighing.

Mwu blinked. "Did you just say that Shinn Asuka managed to kill a family dog? How'd that happen?" he demanded, awestruck.

"Well sir, in Shinn's report he says the dog tried to quote and unquote 'freaking kill me with that damn freaking sharp teeth, the little demon' so he kicked it out into the road out of self-defense, where the dog, very sadly, passed away with a resounding splat and yelp." Athrun read monotonously.

"Oh well, then…" Mwu trailed off, speechless. A dog? A _dog_?

How was it that Shinn Asuka had managed to screw up every single one of his assignments? First there was the ex-con that tragically committed suicide. Then there was the old man that had gotten run over by a car. Then there was the case of the teenage boy that got involved in gang-related incidents and had ended up in the hospital. So naturally, Mwu thought it had something to do with Shinn's charges being male. So naturally, Mwu instructed Athrun to place Shinn with a female charge. A drop-dead gorgeous model. Who couldn't guide her?

But no… the model had fell off the runway, tripping over a wire, snapping her ankle, and putting the model in a traumatized state for the rest of her life. Then there was the little baby… the doctor, the teacher, the construction worker, the singer… after about the amazing record of fifteen, the Guardian Angel Department and Mwu had lost count.

And now the dog…

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," Kira began nervously. Kira and Lacus took care of Shinn, and the reason Shinn was still standing as an angel was because of Kira and Lacus' incessant efforts and begging. And even the ever-patient Lacus was going to lose her hope and patience after _this_ case!

"He's hopeless," Mwu stated bluntly. "He'll lose his wings, I'm afraid. He loses his assignments as quick as we give them out!"

"Commander, he's still learning," Kira protested.

"Kira, give it up. Not even you and Lacus can help him," Athrun shook his head gravely. "He's managed to have his charges either fatally injured or killed, all 127 times."

"Oh we only gave him 127 assignments?" Mwu asked, amused. "I thought it was more along the lines of 500!"

"Oh but come on, Athrun! The ex-convict wasn't his fault! He was too hard a case! And for the model, I mean it was only a broken ankle! And-"Kira was interrupted.

"Kira, face it: he'll lose his wings, and no amount of Lacus' cooking and your begging is going to cut it," Athrun said firmly. "We gave Rey a serial killer for his first case, and he succeeded fine!"

"But Rey is a naturally inbred angel," Kira argued. "He must have some natural flair!"

Mwu frowned. Rey and Shinn were two very different examples of guardian angels. Rey was perfect in every way; he did what needed to be done, and succeeded rather well, and had no death rate or injury rate. He was one of the best guardian angels in Endymion, aside from Athrun himself, pre-law enforcement Kira, Heine Westenfluss, and Lacus. Rey kept by the rules, was polite, and was a perfect little cookie.

Shinn on the other hand, was rambunctious, rebellious, butted heads with the authority at least three times a week, was probably the worst guardian angel to have existed in the history of Heaven, was clumsy, stubborn, a screw-up, and was anything but perfect. See the contrast yet?

Athrun and Mwu sweatdropped.

"Kira, that must be the most pathetic argument you've made in a while," Mwu clapped sarcastically. "Face it kid, there's nothing you can do."

"Aww come on! Just one last chance? We'll straighten him out, I promise!" Kira pleaded. "I'll buy lunch for an entire month!"

Athrun and Mwu's ears perked. "An entire… _month_ you say?" they repeated deviously.

Kira gulped, and sighed. "Yes, an entire month," he said dejectedly. "Just… give him one more chance."

Mwu tapped his fingers together and Athrun nodded slyly. "We'll see what we can do…" they trailed off, grinning slyly.

_Shinn, you'd better do whatever they ask…_ Kira thought darkly. Oh, his hard earned money…

-

_Elsewhere in Endymion_

In the skies of Endymion, lying lazily on a fluffy cloud, the aforementioned Shinn Asuka was chewing on a blade of grass, eyes closed. The wind ruffled his messy black hair, and he rolled right on his side as soon as he felt pressure on his cloud. Not a second later, shrill voice attacked his peaceful ears.

"Shinn! What are you _doing_ here! Do you _know_ how much trouble you're in!" Lunamaria Hawke screamed, aggravated. She put her hands on her hips and glared at her fellow angel. "SHINN!"

The other angel made no move of answering, simply motionless on the cloud, still chewing on the blade of grass.

Drawing in a deep breath, Lunamaria screamed her loudest. "SHINN ASUKA!"

When Shinn made no indication as to whether he heard her or not, Lunamaria's eyebrow twitched and her violet eyes filled with pure irritation. "SHINN! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!"

Finally, Shinn rolled around to face Lunamaria, fingers reaching into his ears and pulling out… earplugs.

Lunamaria stared, dumbfounded before sighing and plopping down onto the cloud. "Do you even know how much trouble you're in this time?" she demanded, crossing her arms crossly. "I hear it's really serious this time, Shinn."

Shinn grunted, rolling onto his side.

"Ugh, you're such a _child_, Shinn! Why can't you just apologize to the Commander? You know he has the power to throw you right to a minor angel prison or something!" Lunamaria snapped. "You're always butting heads with the authority, especially Commander Zala! He's always forgiving you-"

Shinn smirked. "Too bad he's engaged to Representative Attha, eh?" he said slyly.

Lunamaria blushed beet red, and looked away, huffing. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Shinn!" she declared, flustered.

"You like the Commander," Shinn teased, crimson eyes twinkling.

"N-n-no, I don't!" Lunamaria denied, stuttering.

"Come on, Luna, I'm not stupid," Shinn rolled his eyes.

Maybe I'd better introduce them, huh? Meet Shinn Asuka: a rebel without a cause. That was what Shinn was in a nutshell. He was stubborn and could get things done when he put his mind to it. He had been wandering around Endymion, completely lost and abandoned, in a state of shock when Kira had found him in an alley when the older angel had been chasing a robber down the street. There were no discernible records of his death, nor warnings of him coming into Endymion. The first memories of Endymion were branded onto his mind like a tattoo that wouldn't go away…

_Flashback_

How long had it been? An hour? A day? Maybe a week even? Shinn had lost count. He didn't care for anything at that moment. All he felt was cool numbness and tangible pain. Funny how he could feel the two at once. The cracks still echoed in his mind and his families cries haunted him desolately… and that flash of deep magenta. And blue. A flurry of feathers… what was it?

Distinct yet far away voices floated over to his mind, one of them belonging to the man who had found him. But normal humans didn't have wings, did they?

"…There aren't records of his death anywhere," a muffled voice of an older man was saying, both confused and anxious. Shinn imagined him usually a man of a cool nature, always adding his two cents worth.

"But that's impossible! How did he get into Endymion then?" that was the… _being_ who had found him. Kira Yamato… he was easily recognizable. But didn't Kira Yamato die?

There were sounds of movement before the first man spoke up. "I have no idea," a pause. "…I should also tell you, we've lost-"

"Hello there," a calm, sympathetic voice said kindly, and Shinn blankly turned his head to look at a young woman that had adorned the posters of many movies a long time ago. Lacus Clyne, the beautiful pink-haired actress… her aquamarine bore into his crimson eyes, sorrow reflected in them.

Shinn made no answer and stayed silent.

"May I have your name?" the woman in front of him asked quietly.

"Shinn. Shinn Asuka," Shinn's blank reply shocked even himself. Shouldn't he be excited to meet Lacus Clyne face-to-face? Mayu would have been ecstatic! So what was the feeling of horrible emptiness doing in his heart?

_Flashback to present_

Ever since then he had been with Lacus and Kira, attending Endymion School of Guardian Angels and earning his degree, with Luna, and Rey.

Ah… Lunamaria Hawke. She was an eccentric one, to put it simply. She was outgoing and outspoken, spoke her mind when she wanted to, but knew when to keep her mouth shut. She worried for her friends, especially Shinn, what with his trouble-making skill and all. The magenta-haired girl was an average guardian angel: screw-up here, screw-up there, nothing major. She had died due to leukemia, and was often seeing lying on a cloud, looking emptily into a mirror her sister had given her, staring at what had become of her family now. Her cheerful grey-blue eyes would be filled with despondency then, something that _someone_ didn't like to see that much.

As Shinn had stated, she admired Athrun Zala, perhaps even had a little crush on the fellow, but she knew he was madly in love with Cagalli, and hadn't really expected much anyway. If only her blind self could see someone else that always paid extra attention to her… how her romantic life would get a jump-start then!

But no, life is never that simple…

"I _know_ you're not stupid, Shinn, but I _don't like_ Commander Zala," Lunamaria huffed, crossing her arms. "So you can forget about it!"

"Right… right… whatever you say, Luna," Shinn smirked, sitting up, gazing absentmindedly at a floating cloud.

"ANYWAY," Luna cleared her throat, her expression changing into that of a very serious one, her brows knitted together. "You had better go see Commander Zala and Commander La Flaga pronto. You're in a lot of trouble,"

"The worst they can do is throw me in minor prison," Shinn shrugged, scowling.

Lunamaria shook her head. "It's a _lot_ more serious, this time," she declared. "I hear they're even thinking about clipping your wings, Shinn!"

Shinn froze but scowled. "Whatever. It's no like I ever _wanted_ to be a stupid guardian angel anyway. They can send me to hell for all I care!" he snapped, crossing his arms. "It's not like I had a choice in the matter, OK? So quit hounding on me like you're my mother!"

Lunamaria shook her head furiously, borderline tears brimming her eyes and panic etched onto her face. "No, no, no, you can_not_ say that, Shinn Asuka Yamato! You don't _know_ what happens to fallen angels! I lost my best friend, and trust me, it's _not_ something you want to go through!" she cried.

Shinn blinked, astonished. "Uh… OK, OK! I'll go see the stupid Commander…" he mumbled getting up and dusting himself off. Navy blue wings spread from his back as he prepared to take off.

"Don't be such a child, OK? Make sure you behave and do what they tell you to!" Luna chided as Shinn flew away, hands clamped over his ears. "You don't want Commander Yamato and Miss Lacus' efforts to be in vain!"

* * *

A/N: I know I bashed Shinn a little bit, but it's all for a good cause, and I feel bad, 'cuz I like him. Not my best efforts; it's a little scattered, and I'll probably redo it if I EVER get around to it... (nerovus laughter) Read and review, even if you hate it! 


	2. Chapter 1: When Shinn Met Stellar

A/N: Eek! I'm so late in my update! I'm so sorry! Anyway… for the readers of Be My Valentine… you'll be glad to know I got the inspiration back for it! But the next chapter might seem a bit iffy because I haven't worked on it in like… a VERY long while… Oo. And I apologize for that. But that aside, please enjoy the next chapter of MI! Thank you to all those who reviewed!

**_Disclaimer_**: I don't own SEED/Destiny. If I did… AUEL AND TODAKA-SAN WOULD NOT HAVE DIED! DAMN YOU CREATOR!

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**_Chapter 1 – When Shinn Met Stellar_**

Every guardian angel has their secrets to success, and to failure. It was just like a complicated game of running a business: You always wanted to be on the top. And to be on the top, you needed a strategy and a certain way you wanted to play the game. The only difference was that being a guardian angel was more complicated; you needed to dive into it with your heart, to pour your emotions into the job. Otherwise, you'll be spiraling down the ladder of… FAILURE. A failure to guardian angels was a dreaded thing, because unpleasant things happened to fallen angels.

However, there was one individual who seemed unfazed by these consequences. Either he was really, really stupid, or he just didn't care!

Shinn Asuka landed in front of Athrun Zala's office, hands behind his head, and a bored expression on his face. Why couldn't they simply accept the fact that he was a delinquent? Why keep trying to force him into a job he never wanted in the first place?

Not bothering to knock, Shinn strolled in, coming face to face with Athrun busily signing papers away at his desk.

"Commander Zala?"

The said angel looked up from his desk, dropping his pen and acknowledging Shinn's presence. "Ah, Shinn! I was wondering when you'd come back!" he exclaimed, clasping his hands together in a serious manner. Athrun's emerald eyes portrayed utter seriousness. "Sit down,"

Shinn did as he was told. "What did you want to see me for?" Shinn asked.

"Well Shinn, as you know, you've failed on your latest mission," Athrun began, contemplating on how to approach this grave, ever-serious matter. Should he just lay it out on the table? Should he ease into it? So many decisions to make…

"So?" Shinn motioned for the elder angel to go on.

"And I, among with a number of other officials, have decided that you will lose your wings if you do not succeed in this mission," Athrun leaned forward in his seat, no trace of mirth, and only anxiety and seriousness present in his demeanor. "This is quite a serious matter Shinn, to lose your wings. Being a guardian angel means being able to make good of any given situation, to connect with your charges, and to take charge of your mission and use your emotions.

"But you haven't done that, and it shows. I –Kira, and Commander La Flaga included- wouldn't want you to lose your wings. It's a terrible thing, Shinn. So here's the deal." Athrun paused.

Shinn nodded, face devoid of any expressions.

"You have no facial expression," Athrun stated.

Shinn nodded.

"Why do you not have any facial expression?" Athrun demanded.

Shinn shrugged. "I'm listening, don't worry,"

Athrun nodded skeptically and kept on. "Anyway, due to the scrumptious food I'm sure Kira will be providing Commander La Flaga and I for a full month, we have decided to give you one last mission to redeem yourself for the hundred twenty-seven you've failed." He declared, awaiting Shinn's reaction.

Shinn narrowed his eyes. "There's no catch in this?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nope! String-free, I assure you!" Athrun quipped, whipping out a black folder.

Shinn's eyes widened. "WHAT!" he cried. "Y-y-you're giving me a freaking _black folder_ for my redeem assignment!" he angrily pointed to the innocent inanimate object on Athrun's desk. "How do you expect me to complete this, Zala! You _want_ me to fail!"

Athrun sighed and cleared his throat. "First, that's _Commander_ Zala to you, Shinn, second, it's not as bad as it seems, and third, no one else would take it," he reasoned, smiling nervously. "And well, you're the only person left to give it to…"

"I can't do this and you _know_ it!" Shinn countered heatedly.

"Now, now, Shinn, it's this or you lose your wings," Athrun pointed out. "I suggest you take it. The usual rules apply: don't get them killed, don't get them injured, don't fall in love, and don't make them to evil deeds."

"Not a lot of do's in there," Shinn grumbled.

"Oh, and we've decided that it would be beneficial to you if you went to Earth-"

"Jeez… I _wonder_ how I can complete my mission up in Endymion!" Shinn said sarcastically.

"-as a human," Athrun finished, eyes closed and left index finger poised over a red button under his desk.

"…_Excuse me_!"

"Have a nice trip!" Athrun waved and pressed the button quickly before the angry angel had the chance to throttle him. "Someone will contact you after you've cooled down!" he called out as the black hole in which Shinn disappeared into closed up. He sighed, relieved. At least he had lived to see another day… well technically; he couldn't _die_, but still… being throttled really would have hurt…

The watch on his wrist beeped loudly and Athrun glanced down, startled. "Oh, right! My lunch date with Cagalli!" he exclaimed, just remembering. "Why, I almost forgot!"

-

Cagalli Yula Attha impatiently tapped her foot, arms crossed and vein ticking. Athrun was _late_. _Very, very, very_ late. What was _taking_ him so long! This matter was _uber_ important!

"Athrun you, unpunctual fool," she mumbled as she made a vow that if Athrun did not show up in the next thirty seconds, he would DIE. It didn't matter that she loved him and vise versa. Oh he would _pay_ for standing her up for thirty minutes!

"Cagalli!"

_Speak of the Devil…_ Cagalli thought, glaring. Her amber eyes spewed fire and Athrun faltered in his steps.

"Uh hello, Cagalli…" Athrun chuckled nervously, loosening his collar. "I really am sorry for standing you up… I just had a _really_ important matter to deal with…"

"You're late," Cagalli said venomously. "I had a _very_ important matter to discuss with you and you stand me up!" her voice grew in volume with each word. "Athrun Zala, you'll pay!"

Athrun backed into the wall, arms held out and looking nervous. "Uh Cagalli, I'm sure there is a very peaceful, nonviolent way to solve this…" he trailed off, looking for escape routes when a brilliant idea punched him in the face.

"What could be so important that you stand your own fiancée up, Athrun! I only have an hour for lunch and you wasted half of it!" Cagalli continued, advancing on Athrun and shaking her finger at him accusingly. "If you were with another girl, I'll make sure you'll _never ever_ be able to have a future with children, you standing up-women, wasting my lunch hour-"

At that moment Athrun's lips shut her off, and Cagalli's eyes widened in surprise momentarily before she melted into the lip lock.

"Does _that_ cool you off, Miss Attha?" Athrun asked, emerald eyes twinkling.

Cagalli blushed and crossed her arms. "Don't think it'll get you out of trouble. I still have that important matter to discuss. What were you doing anyway?" she demanded.

"I wasn't with another woman. Unless of course, Shinn is secretly a woman and he hasn't told any of us yet…" Athrun said thoughtfully. He sighed. "I was just telling him he had one last chance to redeem himself and sent him to Earth-"

"You did _WHAT_!" Cagalli grabbed Athrun's collar. "Athrun, please tell me you didn't just say what I think you said!"

Athrun frowned in confusion. "Why? I mean, why would you _want_ him to stay? You two hate each other's guts!" he stated.

Cagalli shook her head and released her fiancé. "It's just that I needed to discuss something with him…" she replied thoughtfully, brows knitted together. The blonde angel seemed deep in thought before she finally asked. "Where's Kira?"

Athrun face-faulted. "You know, isn't it normal for a fiancée to kiss her fiancé as a greeting? Like, instead of yelling at him and grabbing his collar and asking him where her brother is you'd think I'd get a 'Hello, sweetie, how was your day today?', or 'Hi dear! Would you like me to buy you lunch?' OR-"

This time Cagalli has shut him up with a passionate kiss. After a minute or so, she pulled away, amber eyes twinkling with mischief. "How's _that_ for a greeting, Mr. Zala?"

"Very tasty," Athrun grinned. "Anyway, why do you ask?"

"I've been trying to get a hold of him for the last few days or so," Cagalli explained, sitting down in one of the plush chairs of the nearly empty café. "But every time I've called, it was absolutely the wrong time!" she frowned. "I know he's not avoiding me, because we _both_ agreed it was pretty damn important!"

"Well Kira has been busy with a number of things lately. After all he _is_ a law enforcer of Endymion and PLANT," Athrun shrugged. "Don't worry… you're not the only one who's worried. Lacus is, too-"

"That's not it, Athrun," Cagalli shook her head. "It's far more important than law enforcing. Lacus knows about it-"

"Wait… how come _I_ don't know about it!" Athrun cried, dismayed.

"_Because_, I don't have much faith in your ability to keep a secret," Cagalli rolled her eyes. "Remember the time you've spilled the beans to Kira about his anniversary as an angel? Or the time you've spilled to Lacus about Kira's grand plans to propose? Or the time when Commander La Flaga wanted to ask Captain Ramius on a date… do you _really_ want me to go on?"

"Uh… no," Athrun said. "It's very hurtful to be reminded that my own fiancée doesn't have faith in me. But how would you feel if Kira just sat in front of you for two hours without any words, just staring at you with that talk-or-I'll-make-you-talk law enforcer stare? It's intimidating!" he said defensively.

"Sure, sure it is…" Cagalli said skeptically. "Anyway, back to topic. Have you noticed anything strange?"

Athrun frowned, now completely serious. He knew when Cagalli used this 'tone' she meant serious business. So whatever it was must have been deadly serious for her to use this 'tone'. "Be more specific," he said.

"I don't know what to tell you other than if you've noticed any strange things after Shinn arrived in Endymion," Cagalli began anxiously. "I'm still not sure of anything myself, except that the matter was brought up in ORB as a passing topic. But the matter was dissolved so quickly none of the other Emirs thought anything of it."

Athrun frowned. "Since Shinn arrived…?" he trailed off, running through his head for anything that screamed, 'I'M AN ABNORMAL HAPPENING!'

One incident hit him. "Wait… there _is_ one that stands out," he started, the memory still pretty clear in his mind. "A while ago in Endymion there was a series of angel killings that had all the Higher Angels stressing full-time over it… they were dead-end, basically. No suspects, no nothing. I remember even the Guardian Angel Department was on it."

"The victims were all Guardian Angels," Cagalli said. "Right?"

Athrun nodded. "All of us were ordered to be on strict supervision and protection. There were no suspects caught. In fact, the killing just stopped over time," he finished. "I remember Kira telling me that it was impossible that any angel could've done it."

"Yeah… I've asked Kira to do some extensive research, but I honestly don't know what he'll be able to come up with…" Cagalli sighed heavily.

"If the ORB Emirs thought it was nothing, I'm sure it'll be OK, Cagalli. Meanwhile, why don't we get something to eat?" Athrun suggested, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Worrying on an empty stomach isn't good for your health, my dear."

Cagalli grunted. "Call me that again and I'll hurt you," she growled.

-

Shinn landed ungracefully in a quiet neighborhood, letting out a string of curses, mainly aimed at Athrun. He peeled himself off the pavement and scowled, dusting himself off. "Why me?" he grumbled. "Why not Rey?"

The black haired now-human gazed around, crimson eyes taking in the surroundings. The black folder was still in his hands, thankfully, and he opened it, beginning to walk down the street.

"A black folder… che… I don't want you to fail my ass…" he mumbled angrily. He soon found himself in a busy main street, with stores lining each side of him and people bustling about. The gentle breeze blew by him and he looked at the picture of his new charge. "No name, no address, no birth date, no nothing…" he sighed, aggravated. "How do they expect me to guard this chick if I can't even _find_ her!" he cried, successfully earning him the title of 'Freak Who Yells on Sidewalks' from the on-lookers.

Suddenly, and surely in a very cliché way, Shinn conveniently turned his head toward a boutique window, where an attractive blonde girl dressed in some type of uniform jacket and boots stood, staring into the shop curiously.

_Wait a minute… that's her!_

_-_

_A little while before at ZAFT Academy of Copernicus_

"Stellar!" a cheery voice called out.

The blonde haired girl by the said name of Stellar turned around, stopping. Her magenta eyes had a dazed twinkle in them and she waited for her companion to catch up.

"I've been calling you for the last half hour," the girl said, smiling. She owned chocolate colored hair and amethyst eyes that twinkled. She straightened out her uniform and began to speak. "How was your day so far?"

"It's been good," Stellar Loussier replied, both beginning to walk out of the school grounds for free time. "How was yours?"

Kiaka Yamato nodded. "Mine was good, I guess," she shrugged. "Do you maybe want to come uniform shopping with me? I completely forgot to get the new PE uniforms," she added sheepishly.

Stellar nodded. "Sure. Didn't Auel want to go?" she asked, glancing at her best friend.

"Auel Neider… shopping?" Kiaka asked eyes wide. "Those two do _not_ belong in the same sentence."

"Oh," Stellar let out a small smile before turning her gaze to the sky.

"I wonder how Meyrin is," Kiaka said worriedly.

Stellar nodded and remembered the ritual Meyrin Hawke kept every year, rain or shine. The redhead would always visit her sister's grave in Mendel (which was pretty far away) and come back, depressed for at least a week. She wondered why Meyrin kept up the ritual if it was that much of an emotional strain on her. Come to think of it, Kiaka did the same thing. The girl visited her brother's grave every year and would be depressed for days on end!

The blonde wondered wistfully how it felt to have a family. Even if it was a family that died. She hadn't had a family as long as she could remember. Nope. It was only her… and Neo. And yearly, she visited a certain grave. A grave that she had no idea why she visited.

"Stellar…?" Kiaka waved her hand in front of Stellar's face. "Glad to see you're still with me…"

"Sorry," Stellar said apologetically. "I just had a lot… on my mind…"

Kiaka nodded. "I understand. If you'd like I can go buy the uniform myself and maybe afterwards we'll go see a movie or something. Meet you at the Copernicus Center in an hour?" she suggested.

"Sure… see you till then," with a slight wave, Stellar walked on as Kiaka entered the uniform shop after one last glance.

Stellar walked down the street, tuning out the rest of the world. She absentmindedly began to hum a random tune and continued to walk blankly. How was it that she always felt so torn? Even in a huge crowd, she always felt hollow as if a piece of her heart was somewhere else far away from the scenic town of Copernicus. She had never felt whole in her life. Not even when Auel's Mother had found her abandoned in the rain, not even when Neo had taken her in, not even when she had first learnt the meaning of friendship.

Suddenly Stellar halted and gazed into a boutique window. Her reflection gazed back at her. The image of the sunny blonde-haired, magenta-eyed girl with a petite build stood in the window, moving when she moved. Her hand reached up to the window and she blinked. Her eyes widened briefly and her gaze froze on the image of a boy across the street. He was being reflected off the window, but his outline was so clear. Stellar stood frozen, eyes wide.

_A flash of crimson._

_The look of surprise._

The only two things that stood in her non-existent memory. Time seemed to slow and melt into nothing as Stellar stood gazing at the reflection of the boy and the same boy stared right at her. The color of his eyes… red… the expression on his face… the one of surprise…

The serene pensiveness was brutally shattered when a truck roared by and Stellar snapped out of her daze, the forceful wind from the truck blowing her hair and the skirt of her uniform.

And she walked on.

-

Shinn cursed as the truck roared by. And conveniently, two more sped by and Shinn ran back where he came from, trying to spot the head of gold. But no… sadly, half the people on that side of the street just _happened_ to have blonde hair at that moment.

"Dammit!" Shinn mumbled, speeding through a cross walk and craning his neck for even a small sign of his new charge. None whatsoever. How incredibly sad. There were probably a million girls that had blonde hair! How was he going to find her now? He had no extra information; he had no money, no house, and no contact with Endymion! To put it simply, he didn't have _anything_!

"Excuse me," a female's voice said politely.

Shinn turned around and was tempted to scream, "KIRA-SEMPAI!" but miraculously kept it in. There stood a girl, with Kira's brown hair, only a lot longer, and Kira's amethyst eyes, telling him to move.

"E-eh… sorry…" Shinn sputtered, swiftly moving aside. The Kira-look-alike-only-female walked on by, giving him a confused stare. It was only after she had disappeared into the crowd that Shinn realized it. His charge and that girl had on the same uniform.

"Dammit…" Shinn muttered. "Hey! Wait!"

The black-haired boy bolted through the crowd, soon running out of breath. He had forgotten completely how to run. After having flown for the last… fifteen years and never having to break a single sweat… how he missed his wings now! After catching his breath, he forced his legs to run faster, until he could finally spot that brunette! And thankfully, he did!

"Hey! You there!" Shinn wheezed out.

The girl paused and turned around, a confused expression on her face. Shinn willed his dead legs to move faster for that little distance and he was about two meters away when he rammed right into someone. What little bit of breath he had left was knocked out and Shinn laid on the pavement momentarily as pain coursed through his legs and his breath came out in short gasps.

"Hey, watch it!" an irritated voice snapped.

"Oh my! Are you alright?" the girl's voice asked, concerned.

"Hey! How come you aren't fawning over me?" the first speaker's voice whined.

"Because I think he's seriously injured, that's why," the girl answered matter-of-factly.

"Che. You'd think my own girlfriend would have better concern for me…" the first speaker.

Abruptly the world spun into view and Shinn shook away the dizziness, looking into the concerned eyes of the brunette he had been chasing and a light-blue haired and emerald eyed male, obviously the one Shinn had rammed into. He wore an irritated pouty expression and was glaring slightly at him.

"You don't look like you have a concussion," the girl declared, obviously relieved. "Were you chasing after me? I wasn't quite sure…"

Shinn stood up and brushed himself off. He looked up to meet suspicious emerald eyes that held a bit of anger in them. "Why would you chase after Kiaka?" the teen demanded, standing in front of the brunette protectively. "Which thug street did _you_ crawl out of? You don't look like you go to ZAFT."

"Auel!" the girl, probably Kiaka, cried, horrified. "Please excuse him. I'm Kiaka Yamato, and this is Auel Neider."

"I can introduce myself, Kiaka," Auel mumbled.

Kiaka sighed in exasperation. "You weren't going to so I did for you," she answered.

It was then Shinn noticed Auel seemed to wear some kind of uniform as well, only the jacket was blue. "I'm Shinn. Shinn Asuka," he declared. "Pardon me for asking, but what school uniform is that? That's what I was trying to ask you…"

Kiaka seemed taken aback and Auel arched an eyebrow. "What kind of idiot are you? Everybody knows this is the uniform for ZAFT Academy- Oof!" Before the boy could go on, Kiaka had promptly elbowed him in the stomach, obviously irritated.

"Auel! I'm terribly sorry," Kiaka apologized, smiling nervously. She shot a dirty glare at her supposed boyfriend. "But… why do you ask?"

Shinn paused. Hmm… he probably couldn't tell these two strangers –one of which already seemed to hate him- that he was a guardian angel looking for his lost-cause charge. He probably couldn't tell them he was stalking a fellow classmate of theirs… oh, what lie to tell?

"Well you see, I'm new, and I heard that ZAFT Academy was an extremely prestigious school," Shinn paused to think up more lies to go with his brilliant story. "I was just wondering if your uniforms were ZAFT's."

"Oh… I had no idea ZAFT was still accepting applicants this late into the year…" Kiaka said thoughtfully, frowning, a puzzled expression on her face. She looked at Auel. "Do they?"

Auel shrugged. "How would _I_ know?" he asked.

"I have a very influential father," Shinn lied. Well it was… _partially_ true… "I start school tomorrow." Shinn smirked deviously within his mind. Oh how sweet was the feeling of… _revenge_! _Too sweet…_ he thought happily.

"Is that so? Would you like help getting acquainted with the school grounds, then?" Kiaka suggested as Auel had an unbelievable expression on his face.

This was the perfect chance to ask about his new charge! Without seeming like a stalker! "That would be great," Shinn replied immediately. Suddenly, his eyes widened in utter shock as he spotted two figures waving their arms crazily to get his attention. "Uh…err…" he trailed off, panicking. What was Athrun and Kira _thinking_! Completely aghast, Shinn pointed toward the two angels, horror written all over his face.

"Huh?" Auel and Kiaka both turned around, completely confused. Auel frowned and looked at Shinn questioningly. "What are you pointing at?"

Kiaka, however, seemed frozen, gripping her fists tightly and expression portraying shock and disbelief. "You died," she whispered, eyes fixated on the spot where Kira stood, hands shaking violently.

Shinn frowned. Kiaka probably wasn't crazy, so why did she all of a sudden just freeze? His eyes traveled to land on Athrun and Kira once more, his gaze questioning. Athrun looked exasperated, and Kira simply seemed frozen. Even more alarming, his new charge was standing right behind them, standing still, and looking right at him.

"Dammit, Kiaka, not again," Auel mumbled, waving his hand in front of Kiaka's face. He turned his head toward his new charge. "Stellar, got any of those pills handy?" he asked after rummaging through his pockets. "I left mine somewhere in my dorm."

"Excuse me," Stellar muttered quietly, and Athrun and Kira froze in shock. Could she possibly see them? How was that possible? Normal humans were unable to see angels of any shape or form! Before either of them could ponder on the matter further, Stellar was already handing Auel a bottle of pills, while Shinn watched, curious.

"What's that for?" Shinn inquired, deciding to ignore Athrun and Kira for the time being. His charge was more important. Especially since he felt this odd pang of familiarity around her. He would ignore _everything_ until he figured out why he felt that way! Well maybe not ignoring _everything_…

"It's to treat her for her hallucinations," Auel replied mechanically as he attempted calming the girl down. "She's had them ever since her brother died, and the drugs are supposed to treat her for them."

_So she can see Kira and Athrun…_ Shinn mused, wondering if _possibly_ Kira and Kiaka were related. Hell, why not? They certainly _looked_ like each other! "Who was her brother?" he asked.

"Kira Yamato," Stellar replied comforting her friend.

Shinn nodded, satisfied. He had heard about some humans being able to see angels, if they had shared a deep bond with them while the angels were still alive. Since Kira and Kiaka were brother and sister, Shinn could make an assumption that they had been close. Yes, he liked his reasoning. He could confirm that with Kira later.

"I'm Shinn… Shinn Asuka," Shinn said, offering his hand to Stellar.

"I'm Stellar Loussier," Stellar answered, shaking his hand. A jolt shot up both their arms, and the familiar time-melting feeling returned. No words escaped their mouths, and Shinn was shocked. How was it… that she managed to make him feel this way…?

Stellar was equally shocked. Wholeness… she felt wholeness… with just a simple glance from him made her feel real and whole. But why? How? Questions reeled through both their minds, as they stood, hands locked together.

Somehow reality crept up on them, and the two suddenly set foot into the world they were in before, and quickly drew their hands back. Stellar continued calming Kiaka and Shinn finally tuned into what Auel was saying like nothing had passed by.

-

Lacus Clyne patiently waited for her blonde-haired friend, sipping the cup of tea she had brewed. She gazed down at the pool of reddish liquid, hands around the teacup and aquamarine eyes clouded over with thoughts. The pink-haired angel was still immersed in her thoughts when Cagalli decided to make her entrance.

"Lacus!" she called loudly.

Lacus glanced up and smiled apologetically. "I apologize… I was just thinking about something," she replied.

Cagalli nodded. "I know. I just thought you might want to know that Commander La Flaga and Athrun sent Shinn to Earth for his latest mission." She declared.

Lacus frowned, clearly taken by surprise. "Is that so? I suppose that's normal-"

"As a human," Cagalli finished.

If lacus was surprised before, she looked like she could have had a heart attack. "What were they _thinking_?" she cried, alarmed. "Do they realize he's not immortal anymore? He's vulnerable to everything a human feels, including pain and death!"

"I don't think that's our biggest problem here, Lacus," Cagalli said, raising her eyebrow. "After all, even if he dies, I suppose the Higher Ups will do something about that… but I found out that his charge was a black folder."

"A _black_ folder?" Lacus repeated, hopelessness written clear in her features. "Oh… the poor boy… What'll we do, Cagalli?"

"Eh?" Cagalli gave Lacus an astonished glance as if her friend had grown two heads. "Are you _on_ something, Lacus? It's against the rules to interfere in other angels' missions!" she reminded Lacus loudly and matter-of-factly. "And besides, why would I want to help _Shinn_?"

"Cagalli, have some compassion!" Lacus exclaimed. "We have to help him! I don't want him to lose his wings!"

Cagalli shook her head. "No way, Lacus. I don't want to help him. And even _if_ I wanted to, it's against the rules. Are you sure you're OK? You never do anything to break or bend the rules even in the slightest bit!" she inquired, feeling Lacus' forehead. "You don't seem to have any fever… maybe it's about time you paid a visit to the healer or something!"

Lacus shook Cagalli's hand away. "I'm just fine, Cagalli, but Shinn's not! What if something happens to him on Earth?" she demanded, slamming her hands down on the table and standing up. "What if some careless drunk driver accidentally ran over him because Shinn forgot how a traffic light works? What if he accidentally burns his house down because he forgot how to use a lighter or a match? Cagalli, _what if he gets electrocuted because he forgot not to handle electric appliances while near water_!"

The now wide-eyed Cagalli regained her composure. She stood up and placed firm hands on Lacus' shoulders and forcefully sat her down and sat down herself. "Look Lacus," she said calmly. "You know I'm sure the green light with the little man inside it is self-explanatory and that Shinn will know not to cross the street when the red light with the big, fat X in it flashes on. And I'm sure he can't accidentally burn his house down because he _has_ no house to begin with, and like I said, he can't electrocute himself because there _is_ nothing to electrocute himself _with_." She finished. "Now quit worrying! Athrun is supposed to check regularly on him, and I'm sure Kira would want to as well!"

However, Lacus' face was frozen in fear. "Shinn… _has no house_!"

"Oh crap…" Cagalli muttered, face-palming.

-

"What were you guys thinking!" Shinn declaimed, waving his arms around. "Kiaka obviously _saw_ you!"

"Calm down, Shinn!" Athrun said, sweat-dropping. "We just thought you would like to get in contact with us as soon as possible, and Kira and I just made a simple assumption that the people around you wouldn't be able to see us!"

"Well you obviously made a stupid assumption!" Shinn countered, eyes blazing an arms crossed. "Now explain to me why the hell you got me a fricking _black folder_ as my redeem assignment!"

Athrun coughed nervously. "Well you see, other than the fact that no one wanted to take it, it's been sitting on the shelf for a while, and it gets to be such an eyesore… and also, it was the only thing that could make up for all the missions you've failed," he explained pleasantly.

Kira had stayed silent, obviously deeply concentrated on something. Shinn glared at Athrun, eyes still spewing fire. "Oh yeah? But you sent me off with _nothing_! No address, no name, no nothing, and you give me no house to live in or any money!" he continued heatedly. "How can you do this to me! And you have the nerve to show up in front of hundreds of people and one of my newly acquired friends see you! What do you have to say!"

"Uh… uh…" Athrun began, clearly organizing words in that pretty head of his, running through possibilities and opting for one that would cost him least bodily harm. "Well… you see…"

Shinn tapped his foot. "I'm waiting!" he declared loudly.

Athrun flinched at how similar Cagalli and Shinn sounded and sighed. Whatever he said would probably cause him great physical pain, and even if he opted not to speak, it would _still_ cause him great physical pain. Hmm… a rock? Or a hard place?

"Did she really see me?" Kira demanded suddenly, his voice cutting through the thick, angry air like a knife through butter.

"Kira?" Athrun turned to face his long-time friend's solemn face.

"Eh?" Shinn loosened his stiff posture to better look at his senior.

"Did she really see me?" Kira repeated firmly, amethyst eyes boring into Shinn's crimson ones.

"I think so… I mean… she started freaking out," Shinn shrugged. "And Auel did say the drugs were for her hallucinations…"

Kira looked down, pain evident. Suddenly he turned around and spread his azure wings. "I'm going back," he declared, staying true to his word and taking off, creating a circle of dust underneath him. Soon the brown-haired angel was out of sight and Shinn turned to Athrun, who looked equally confused.

"In all my years of knowing him, I've never seen him act this way," Athrun declared, puzzled. He turned to Shinn. "Well Shinn, I do have to get going… Commander La Flaga was being lazy again."

"Wait!" Shinn called out, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

Athrun gulped. _Kira… what kind of friend are you to desert me!_ He thought ruefully. "Y-yes…?"

"About my housing and all…" Shinn began excruciatingly innocently and slowly. His smiled sickly sweetly and his eyes glinted with the sweet feel of… vengeance. Cackling inwardly, Shinn continued. "I already registered myself at ZAFT Academy of Copernicus."

Athrun laughed. "Hahaha! And here I thought you were going to mutilate me-"Athrun abruptly stopped laughing and froze, emerald eyes widening. "Wait a minute… did you just say… _ZAFT Academy_!"

Shinn nodded, pretending to fawn over his nails. "Well you know… all other schools and houses just seemed so… stuffy and not up to my level of vengeance, but then I came across ZAFT Academy, which I hear is _very_ prestigious, _very_ educational, _very_ posh and _very_ expensive…" he declared, looking more devious with each word.

Athrun took a deep breath. "ZAFT Academy… huh?" he repeated meekly. This was going to cost him dearly… "Alright then…"

* * *

**_A.N_**: Anyways… how was that? Constructive criticism is very appreciated with this chapter. It seemed sorta choppy… TT. The next chapter will be an in-depth analysis of why I need Mia to be in the story… (Cackles). Read and review as always please! And one last thing and I promise I'll shut up! When I put the OC in, I wasn't sure about the reaction that you guys will have... because I'm sorta iffy with them, but since no one flamed me for having Carys in Be My Valentine, I'm gonna assume that it's the same for Kiaka. But ig you guys don't want her, then I'll take her out! Now i shall go now...

**_Teaser_**: **_Chapter 2: Welcome to ZAFT Academy of Copernicus!_**

He loosened out his too-tight, odd-looking yellow and brown checkered tie, all the while listing reasons why he had to go through with this. _I can't believe I'm doing this…_ he thought dismally. Who would've thought? Him a _butler_!


End file.
